Today, All Good Things Are Possible : New Ways to Start & Focus on Your Day!      Every day is a new beginning, if we allow it.  Every morning we have an opportunity to start fresh. How do you want to start your day?  What attitude or intention do you choose to bring to each day?  If you wake and tell yourself that it will be just another day, then that is all it will be.  I’ve written a lot about desired outcomes, in a variety of circumstances, and this week my desired outcome is to communicate to you how important your attitude is in creating your day.  Please understand, that I am not just talking about putting a smile on your face and denying all the problems, stress and difficulties you may face in your life.  I am talking about feeling empowered to handle your day with a different attitude and perspective. These are two things that you absolutely do have a choice about and control over! Have you thought about the kind of day you WANT to have, and what energy you can bring to your day to create it and that it really does make a difference? Too many people believe and live as if “life happens to them” rather than with the awareness that “you make life happen”.      It’s time to step into your life consciously and purposefully, and that means facing each day with clear intentions.  When you’re feeling stressed, overwhelmed, burdened &/or tired, because of all your daily responsibilities, it’s all too easy to simply exist on automatic pilot.  You then completely forget what it means to “be in the moment”, and be present.  You might realize, at the end of the day, that some good things happened, but at the time they happened, you were just too busy, stressed or overwhelmed to really take note of it or appreciate it.  Absolutely, at the end of the day, STOP! BREATHE! FOCUS! and make note of the good moments. Write them down, honor them in hindsight and have them written there physically, to remember and/or recall as needed. (Remember, even the small things count!) Today, my desired outcome is to give you some tools to use to be conscious and aware of the moments as they happen this week , and to actually create and recognize the moments in each day that you can truly feel good about and celebrate. In research done using MRI’s of the brain , it has been determined that we have about 60,000 thoughts every day.  We obviously can’t pay attention to and focus on all of them, so it’s very important to become aware of the thoughts that you do pay attention to. It's equally as important to realize how much these thoughts do influence and impact your day and cumulatively, your life.  Thoughts create feelings within you, and not feelings that create thoughts.  So, it stands to reason that: "If you change your thoughts, you change your feelings”. How do you feel when you wake up each morning?  How do you start your day mentally and emotionally?  Do you feel open and hopeful for the new day, or is it “just another day” that you must survive, somehow?  In order to create a positive intention for the day, it is imperative that you are aware of how you view yourself as well as your day.  I know and understand that life is filled with stresses, fears, uncertainties, and many other kinds of negative thoughts and feelings that ultimately undermine the ease with which you can focus on your joy and pleasure any positive thoughts and experiences.  The challenge and goal is to feel good within yourself and bring that positive energy into your day, instead of giving that power away to life’s stresses, whether or not you have control over those stresses.  This doesn’t mean that you ignore or deny these issues, it simply means you bring a different energy and attitude to them. Irving Berlin stated:  “Our attitudes control our lives. Attitudes are a secret power working twenty-four hours a day, for good or bad. It is of paramount importance that we know how to harness and control this great force.” 5 Steps to creating a better day: 1. Before even getting out of bed, stretch, breathe and say out loud: “Today is a brand new day. All good things are possible. I am open to seeing, hearing and receiving the blessings in my life.” This is not just about money and health, but also about love, respect, understanding and compassion. Look for all the blessings in your life, and just as you have found the problems, so too will you find yourself able to find the blessings.. You only have to look and be open to experiencing them! 2. As I am about to start each activity, I STOP! BREATHE! & FOCUS!  My intention is to be fully present in this moment and in this activity.  Rather than waiting until the end of the day to reflect back, stop throughout your day and honor each moment.  You’ll find that you’ll be more in tune with all the good that is in your day and these moments will have more power and influence.  You might even find that just by being present you’ll experience the pleasure of being productive, compassionate, understanding, aware, feeling connected to friends, family, co-workers, etc. and these are all emotional and mental highs in your day! 3. I consciously create an environment that reflects my positive thoughts and feelings about myself.  Look around your home and work-space and see what needs to be modified so that you create a space that is truly loving and respectful of you.  It may simple, like adding a picture, clearing clutter, lighting a candle, etc., or it may be more involved like changing the color of your walls, or putting in new lighting, etc. 4. No complaining, just problem solving. If something is bothersome to you in your life, rather than complaining about it, think about what it is you need or want that’s different, and how it can be done.  Work towards the solution, do not stay mired in the problem. 5. Life is about attitude: Pick a good one. Empower your day and your life by honoring and respecting the fact that your attitude can and does make a difference! Think about the people you most enjoy being with.  Are they whiners and complainers or are they people who overall have a good outlook on life?  Who do you want to be? Today can be different, and all it takes is your awareness of your thoughts and attitude. Take that deep breath whenever you hear yourself mired in negativity, and start over. Yes, it takes 28 days to make a habit, but think about all the opportunities in your day to practice new thoughts, new intentions, and a new attitude . Make these five steps a regular part of your day, and you’ll see a huge difference in yourself! Until next week, I wish you all the best, Loren